Public sector bashing-anyone else sick of it?

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You and rabbit seem to take the position that people should have a licence to abuse public sector workers on an individual basis simply because they have work contracts that you don't like.
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Really?
That's what I wrote was it? Thanks for letting me know
 
Who's bleating about it?... if you were not so selective in in reading my post you would notice I said "its hardly surprising" and "I do not blame people for being angry"
Get real, if people were so sensitive that anyone with a cross word to say iliicited a hysterical cry baby attitude then we really would have problems.
Its the odd ball verging on dangerous that come in on occassion that concern me in an open office of just two women, but hey she is well paid so a good slap is well deserved for the sin of being in a secure job is it.
 



Who's bleating about it?... if you were not so selective in in reading my post you would notice I said "its hardly surprising" and "I do not blame people for being angry"
Get real, if people were so sensitive that anyone with a cross word to say iliicited a hysterical cry baby attitude then we really would have problems.
Its the odd ball verging on dangerous that come in on occassion that concern me in an open office of just two women, but hey she is well paid so a good slap is well deserved for the sin of being in a secure job is it.
 
Padraigb said:
People working in public offices in areas like SW and Revenue are subjected to verbal abuse and, on occasion, to physical abuse.
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I doubt it. I would not condone any abuse to anyone. I have never heard of any verbal abuse or physical abuse directed to members of the public service like SW or Revenue. What would be the point ? It would more than likely be counterproductive in any case. Public sector staff have the security of the Public service. The people I see who hand out S.W. in the post office are behind a counter and screens. A self employed shopkeeper who has to stop / deter gangs of shoplifters is in a more vunerable position if you ask me....not to mention security staff in nightclubs, store detectives, taxi drivers, etc. Yet "Verbal abuse or physical abuse" is not top of the list of worries from many people not in the Public service - it is simply trying to pay the bills and wondering how to keep their house / pay for their kids education.
 
rabbit said:
I would not condone any abuse to anyone. I have never heard of any verbal abuse or physical abuse directed to members of the public service like SW or Revenue. What would be the point ? It would more than likely be counterproductive in any case.
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yes to someone with half a brain. Alas anyone to hurl abuse across a counter to someone who won't pay their benefits for January so they can organize santa in Dec and continue until 3 verbally battered tellers call security, probably does not understand what counterproductive means. I witnessed this scenario when about 4 people (RO'CK labeled "scobes") were in the post office a fortnight before Christmas. It was a glimpse for me into how that other half operate and i would honestly wouldn't work there for love nor money.
 

I would not describe anyone as having " half a brain". Even the most disadvantaged members of the community realise that the people behind the counter and security screen in the post office cannot give them the 2009 social welfare money in 2008 ...in fact sitting behind a screen in a well heated post office ( with sick days, holidays, coffee breaks, camaradie of work colleagues ) , handing out money is far from being the worst job in the world, when you know the unique pay / security etc involved. "
Many's a person would love a job like that", as the saying goes.
 
rabbit said:
I would not describe anyone as having " half a brain" Even the most disadvantaged members of the community realise that the people behind the counter and security screen in the post office cannot give them the 2009 social welfare money in 2008
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well having witnessed that scene i would say there are fair few that don't appreciate the basic rules of free money.

far away hills appear green alright.

rabbit said:
Many's a person would love a job like that", as the saying goes.
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Mammy - how long have you been on aam?
 
pennypitstop said:
i would say there are fair few that don't appreciate the basic rules of free money.
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Public servants may get paid much more than the private sector ( here or abroad) , they may have great perks like job security and pensions, but it is not free money. No money is really free....not even the 20 billion a year we are borrowing. The last "free" money we got was from the taxpayers of Germany and the UK, through the EC. The money now is borrowed and will be paid back - or will be expected to be paid back - by our children and grandchildren.
Our credit rating is now the worst in Europe, thanks to govt overspending on public finances, meaning we pay even more to borrow money as we are perceived to be riskier, such is the state of our public finances.
 
i was referring to people mistreating those at the hatch in the post office - that was the context, and to them it is "free" for they will never care (or possibly have the ability to comprehend) where it comes from.
 
pennypitstop said:
(RO'CK labeled "scobes") .
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What does that mean please?

Social welfare offices and others have glass screens to protect the staff from the customers, this is particularly true in social welfare offices. People in desperate financial circumstances are more likely to lose the rag here than almost any other institution. I've always put it down to a mixture of a) difficult financial circumstances added to b) bureaucratic incompetence (wrong form, incorrectly filled out form, pensions office in Sligo, community welfare officer in bally de where ever, another department of the social welfare, you have to sign on in FAS first but they're not open today, and this means your claim can't be assessed for another month etc) together with having stood in line for 3 hours = breaking point when they've realised they're not getting the money.
 
RO'CK Ross O'Carroll Kelly.
breaking point does not give anyone the right to verbally abuse someone doing their job to the best of their ability - surely you are not condoning this behaviour?
 
pennypitstop said:
i was referring to people mistreating those at the hatch in the post office
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I have never heard of any member of the public being mistreated at the hatch in the post office. Kept queing for ages etc yes - but mistreated no. If anyone tried to mistreat someone through a glass / counter I am sure they would find it counterproductive too.

If public sector employees think they are mistreated - surely they are entitled to "danger" money for the hardships they endure so ? lol Not to mention stress / councelling etc and extra days off for same. Better not mention it - they probably already get it.

This talk of "abuse" of public servants is deflecting attention from the very serious financial situation the country sees itself in, where the international financial community thinks we are the riskiest country in Europe to lend money to, and charges us premium interest rates accordingly.
 
Anyone who deals with the public comes across their fair share of looneys, whether private or public employee. I've mainly worked in relatively small country offices but even in those we generally have a panic alarm button at reception and on the rare occasion have had serious difficulties with assaults etc.
 

Lucky you to have a panic button. Many people who deal with the public in all works of life do not have counters and screens to sit behind, panic buttons etc
 
Speaking to a public servant recently who mentioned about their 2 days of privileged leave. Never heard of such a thing but i was told it originated in people getting a day off at christmas and easter to enable them travel home. Cant believe it still exists. Maybe i was conned
 
rabbit said:
Lucky you to have a panic button. Many people who deal with the public in all works of life do not have counters and screens to sit behind, panic buttons etc
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Precisely so, but if you truly believe that every person who comes into an office looking for their benefits is of the disposition that they have nothing to gain through ranting and raving at unprotected staff and will amiably accept that there is nothing that can be done for them so will merrily go on their way then I find this astonishingly shortsighted and shows an inconceivable lack of judgement on certain members of societys charachter and psyche.
Most workers realise that whatever occupation they hold has its unwelcome side and simply get on with the job in hand, is that so hard to conceive of ?
 
legs-akimbo said:
Most workers realise that whatever occupation they hold has its unwelcome side and simply get on with the job in hand
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I quite agree. That has little or nothing to do with the way pay for our public servants is so way out of line, both compared to the private sector and public servants in other countries.

This talk of "abuse" of public servants is deflecting attention from the very serious financial situation the country sees itself in, where the international financial community thinks we are the riskiest country in Europe to lend money to, and charges us premium interest rates accordingly.
 
Now thats all sorted. We're taking the pain too now.

So lets see now, who else to pick on.....
 
grahamo said:
Now thats all sorted. We're taking the pain too now.

So lets see now, who else to pick on.....
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Over? Just because public servants now pay a levy for their generous penions you think this is over?

Where is the action to scale the service down?
Where is the action to equalize pay because even after levy there is still a pay gap that needs addressing.

This is the kind of short sighted politics I'm used to from our goverment. No vision, just quick fixes that need to be fixed again in a couple of month.

Just because of a levy and no pay increase (which in my company are also out of the window) what does this do to address the 50 million we need to borrow every day to pay the public service?

What happens next is that the unions will call for strikes because this is an unfair treatment of their members.

This is not over by a long shot.
 
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